Double action two cycle motor



May l1, 1937. H* HlNRlcHs DOUBLE ACTION TWO-CYCLE MOTOR Filed Feb. 28, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS Mgy 11, 1937.

L. H. HINRICHS DOUBLE ACTION TWO-CYCLE MOTOR Filed Feb. 28, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 VENTOR I A ATTORNEYS Patented May 11, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Louis H. Hinrichs, deceased, late of Ryegate, Mont., by Nellie Mae Hinrichs, administratrix,

Colchester, lll.

Application February 28, 1936, Serial No. 66,290

6 Claims.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines and has for the primary objectthe provision of a device of this character which will be compact, light in weight and employ a minimum 5 number of parts and embody a two cycle principle of operation with opposingring chambers and a single piston therefor and a single compression chamber for the compressing of fuel and the delivering of said fuel under compression to the firing chambers by the reciprocation of said single piston, the latter also acting tooperate valve means for the control of the fuel to the firing chambers from said compression chamber.

With these and other objects in view, this invention consists in certain novel features of con` struction, combination and arrangement of parts to .bev hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

' For a complete understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view illustrating an internal combustion engine forming the' subject matter of the present invention.

Figure 2 is' a side elevation illustrating the same.

' Figure 3 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view showing the'arrangement of the opposed firing chambers and the compression chamber therefor and the piston operating in said chambers.

" ligure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4--4of4 Figure 1. i

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 5-5`of' Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional View illustrating a radial type of internal combustion engine constructed in accordance with this invention.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral I indicates opposed horizontally arranged crank cases suitably mounted to supports 2, as shown at 3. The crank cases I are secured to opposed cylinders 4 and the latter are connected by a central casing 5. The ends of the cylinders which are secured to the crank cases i are provided with fuel intake passages 5 of annular formation and provided with annular ports 'I communicative with the cylindersA Arranged adjacent to the ports 'I are annular valve seats 8. Sleevelike valves 9 are slidably mounted in the cylinders and have annular flanges I beveled, as shown at I I, to engage with the seats 8 for closing the fuel `chambers 6 to the cylinders. The portions of the cylinders in which the fuel chambers are formed provide supports for the sleeve-like valves 9 and the latter project into the crank cases I. Flanges I2 are formed on the sleeve-like valves 9 and interposed between said flanges and the cylinders are coil springs I3 acting to urge the sleeve-like valves 9 in a direction for closing the ports 'I to the cylinders 4. The sleeve-like valves'have skirt portions I 4 spaced from the Walls of the cylinders 4 to slidably receive a cylindrical shaped piston I5. The piston extends into both cylinders and also into the sleeve-like casing 5 andhas bearing portions I6 to receive a wrist pin I 'I. The piston cooperates with the cylinders and the skirt portions I4 of the valves19 in forming opposed ring `chambers I8, these chambers being opened and closed to the fuel passages 6 by l Way of the ports 1. The piston I5 has piston rings I8 which contact the walls of the cylinders 4 and received in opposite ends of the piston I5 are the skirt-like portions I4 of the valves 9, said portions I4 having piston rings I9 engageable with the piston. The bearing portions I9 of the piston have secured thereto oppositely extending valve operating members 29 each of cylindrical formation. The valve operating elements 20 extend into the skirt portions I4 of the valve 9 and have annular shoulders 2I adapted to abut annular flanges 22 on the valves 9 so that the piston may unseat said valves during its reciprocation. .The bearing portions I6 define to the piston offsets 23 which cooperate with the casing 5 in defining afuel compression chamber 24 having communication with a fuel manifold 25 by ports 2B, the latter being opened and closed by the offsets 23 during the reciprocation of the piston. The

fuel manifold 25 is adapted for connection to a ,1

carbureter 2'I.

Crank shafts 28 are journaled to the crank cases and have counterbalanced cranks 29. The cranks 29 are connected to each other by a single connecting rod 39 journaled to the wrist pin I'I. lThe connecting rod extends through the sleevelike valves 9 and the valve operating elements 20, thelatter being slotted, as shown at 3l, to permit rocking movement of the connecting rod on the wrist pin. One of the crank shafts rotates in an anti-clockwise direction. The crank shafts have secured theretopropellers 32 adapting this engine for aeroplane use. Also due to the compactness of this engine, further renders the latter adaptable for aeroplane purposes. However, the engine is capable of other uses.

The cylinders 4 carry spark plugs 33 which extend into the firing chambers I8 and any suitable ignition system (not shown) may be connected to the spark plugs.

The cylinders 4 have exhaust ports 34. opened and closed by the movement of the piston and connect withy exhaust manifolds 35.

Fuel transfer manifolds 31 are connected to opposite ends of the fuel compression chamber 24 and one of said manifolds 3l is connected tothe fuel intake chamber 6 of one of the cylinders while the other manifold El is Aconnected to the fuel intake chamber 6 of the other cylinder. The offsets 23 of the piston separate said manifolds from each other where they connect with the fuel compression chamber 24.

The piston is of sleeve formation with the bearing portions l5 located intermediate its ends. The piston while of a single unit construction, provides a double ended piston, one'end of which operates in one cylinder and the other end operating in the other cylinder with the offsets 23 of said piston operating in the compression chamber 24. Check valves 38 operate in the fuel transfer manifolds 31 and are arranged to permit fuel to ilow from the compression chamber to the fuel intake chambers 6 of the cylinders but to prevent back pressure from the fuel chambers 6 from entering the compression chamber.

This engine operates o-n the two cycle principle, one end of the piston compressing fuel in one cylinder, while the opposite end of the piston is acted on by expanding fuel ignited in the opposite cylinder. The piston having the oifsets 23 and reciprocating in the casing 5 or the compression chamber 24 will take in fuel from the carbureter and compress said fuel and alternatingly deliver said fuel to the fuel chambers 6 of the cylinders 4. The

Y fuel under compression in the fuel chambers 6 will be alternately delivered to the firing chambers of the cylinders 4 due to the arrangement of the valves 9 alternatingly actuated by the reciprocation of the piston.

With reference to Figure 3, the operation of this engine will be apparent and is as follows:

The piston has moved tothe left in Figure 3, compressing fuel in the left hand side of the compression chamber 24, which fuelv under pressure is admitted to the right hand cylinder, this cylinder also being open to the atmosphere by the piston uncovering the exhaust ports thereof, allowing spent gases to be driven out by the incoming fuel. The piston moving to the left compresses the fuel already received in the left hand cylinder and is in a position substantially to have the fuel of the left hand cylinder fired so that the expanding thereof will act to drive the piston to the right in Figure 3, compressing fuel in the right hand cylinder and exhausting the fuel in the left hand cylinder at the same time opening the valve thereof to admit an additional amount of fuel. The piston moving to the right in Figure 3 compresses fuel in the right hand side of the compression chamber 24, driving said fuel into the left hand cylinder. Thus it will be seen that the engine runs on a two cycle principle and receives two explosions for each revolution of the crank shafts.

While he has described the engine as being constructed of a pair of opposed cylinders arranged horizontally, the same principle may be employed in a radial type of engine, as shown in Figure 6, wherein the plurality of cylinders 40 each constructed in accordance with that described with the other form of engine, are radially mounted to a common crank case 4| in which is journaled a crank shaft 42. Each cylinder 40 as before stated, is constructed in accordance with the foregoing description given to the form of engine shown-in Figures l to 5, inclusive, and the piston of each cylinder 40 has a connecting rod 43 connected thereto. The connecting rods 43 enter the crank case 4l and are connected to a common crank of the crank shaft 42. The pistons of the cylinders 40 will receive a power impulse when moving inwardly relative to the crank case 4l and also will receive a power impulse when moving outwardly, thus producing a compact radial type engine capable of producing maximum power.

Having described the invention, what claimed is:

1. An engine comprising opposed cylinders each having a ring. chamber, a single compression chamber common to both firing chambers, an ignition means for said firing chambers, a single piston operating in the cylinders and the compression chamber to compress fuel in the latter and in the cylinders, exhaust means for the cylinders, means for supplying fuel to said compression chamber, fuel conveying means between said compression chamber and the firing chambers, means actuated by said piston to control the fuel from said compression chamber alternately to the firing chambers, opposed crank cases secured to said cylinders, crank shafts journaled in said crank cases, and means connecting said crank shafts to' the piston.

2. An engine comprising opposed cylinders each having a firing chamber, a single compression chamber common to both ring chambers, an ignition means for said firing chambers, a single piston operating in the cylinders and the compression chamber to compress fuel in the latter and in the cylinders, exhaust means for the cylinders, means for supplying fuel to said compression chamber, fuel conveying means between said compression chamber and the firing chambers, means actuated by said piston to control the fuel from said compression chamber alternately to the firing chambers, opposed crank cases secured to said cylinders, crank shafts journaled in said crank cases, a wrist pin secured to the piston, and a connecting rod journaled to the wrist pin and connected to the crank cases.

3. An engine comprising opposed cylinders having firing chambers and a fuel chamber, a spring pressed sleeve valve controlling fuel from the fuel chamber to the firing chambers, ignition means for the. cylinders, a casing connecting said cylinders, a piston operating in the cylinders and the casing and forming in the latter a compression chamber, means for admitting fuel to the compression chamber, power takeoff means connected to the piston, and means connecting the sleeve valve to the piston.

4. An engine comprising opposed cylinders having firing chambers and a fuel chamber, a spring pressed sleeve valve controlling fuel from the fuel chamber to the ring chambers, ignition means for the cylinders, a casing connecting said cylinders, a piston operating in the cylinders and the casing and forming in the latter a compression chamber, means for admitting fuel to the compression chamber, power takeoff means con nected to the piston, said sleeve valve extending into the casing by way of the cylinders and spaced from the latter, said piston being of cylindrical formation to receive the sleeve valve, and connecting means between the sleeve valve and the piston.

5. An engine comprising opposed cylinders having firing chambers and a fuel chamber, a spring pressed sleeve valve controlling fuel from the fuel chamber to the firing chambers, ignition means for the cylinders, a casing connecting said cylinders, a piston operating in the cylinders and the casing and forming in the latter a compression chamber, means for admitting fuel to the compression chamber, power takeoff means connected to the piston, said sleeve valve extending into the casing by way of the cylinders and spaced from the latter, said piston being of cylindrical formation to receive the sleeve valve, sleeve elements secured to said piston and extending into the sleeve valve, annular flanges formed on said sleeve elements and the sleeve valve to abut one another to establish driving connection between the sleeve valve and the sleeve elements.

6. An engine comprising opposed cylinders having firing chambers and a fuel chamber, a spring pressed sleeve valve controlling fuel from the fuel chamber to the firing chambers, ignition means for the cylinders, a casing connecting said cylinders, a piston operating in the cylinders and the casing and forming in the latter a compression chamber, means for admitting fuel to the compression chamber, power takeoff means connected to the piston, said sleeve valve extending into the casing by way of the cylinders and spaced from the latter, said piston being of cy1indrical formation to receive the sleeve valve, sleeve elements secured to said piston and extending into the sleeve valve, annular flanges formed on said sleeve elements and the sleeve valve to abut one another to establish driving connection between the sleeve valve and said sleeve elements, said sleeve elements and the sleeve valve having the power takeoi means extending therethrough.

NELLIE MAE HIN'RICHS, Admimstratrz' for the Estate of Louis H. Hinrichs,

Deceased. 

